"Percy…" she sputtered, clutching at her abdomen. Rachel groaned, but held Nico's panic stricken brown eyes. His pale hands grasped his stygian iron sword tightly. A shadow flickered across his face, but he hesitated to leave. Jason tensed and shot him a quick look before focusing on Rachel again. Nico drew his sword and headed towards the Poseidon cabin.
"Are you able to walk?" Jason asked tightly, his eyes following the younger teen. Rachel nodded and staggered to her feet. Her skin felt feverish and sweat was pooling on her brow. Her chest felt as if it was constricting and her head swam dangerously. Yet, despite her ailments, she was able to take a steady step forward, quickly following Nico.
There was power, a dark and foreboding aura radiating from Percy's cabin. It clung to the walls and seeped from under cracks in the windows and door. The cabin itself seemed to have been plunged in shadows, as if the sunlight could not penetrate it. Rachel was certain that was the result of whatever she saw entering his cabin. She swallowed thickly, the hairs on her neck standing on end. Looking beside her, she saw that Jason wasn't fairing too well either. His face was darker, eyes seemingly sunken in. The only one seemingly unaffected seemed to be Nico. The boy was almost there, his weapon at the ready.
Rachel grabbed Jason's hand tightly in hers, hastening to catch up. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and quickened his steps. As they drew nearer, it became harder to take each step, as if there was a barrier of some sort. In her head, she could here Hecate's voice, could see her shrewd smirk. Come on Rachel Elizabeth Dare; show me what you've got. She shivered, remembering the feel of the witch's power and how similar yet different it felt to this. Jason stopped suddenly and Rachel almost crashed into Nico's back.
Jason drew his sword and stepped lightly in front of her, shielding her from a foe she couldn't see. Before them was a dark veil. It rippled like water and seemed to be suspended from the sky itself. The fabric seemed to twitch, faces swimming in the little waves. Voices whispered and the longer she listened the clearer their words became. The high pitched tingling of crying children, the mournful sobs of women, the broken cries of men echoed around them. A chill settled, raising goose bumps on her arms. A thick cloud of mist snaked from under the great veil and across the grass towards them.
"What is this?" she squeaked. Rachel unconsciously clung to the back of Jason's shirt, eyeing the white fog.
Nico jumped as if awoken and pushed them back further. "Don't let it touch you!" His voice wavered with fear, his skin suddenly and impossibly paler than before. He stood between them and the mist, his sword raised.
Rachel felt herself trembling and sank to her knees. Nausea rolled through her stomach, her head swimming. She could feel that presence, that dark power, increasing rapidly. Jason dropped beside her, his face etched with worry. I'm not the one you should be worried about. "We have to hurry. Whatever is behind this is getting stronger, and I think I know how." Her voice sounded off, huskier and labored. Jason's eyes widened in understanding. He stood and faced Nico.
"How do we get through this?" he asked, stepping up beside the son of Hades. The demigod bit his lip, his brown eyes unsure.
"Hazel said that we could control the Mist, but I haven't learned how to do it. But this isn't normal Mist, it's a more dangerous variety." Nico stepped forward and immediately jumped back. The fog had wrapped around his leg, leaving behind tattered cloth. Rachel struggled to stand, feeling worse by the minute.
"There has to be another way through this." Her mind raced, going over the tons she'd learned in the past few years. This was some kind of monster, a shadow demon of some sort. How did one battle a creature like this? And one that could manipulate the mist to boot! Can you not see through the Mist my dear? Are you not a manipulator yourself? Hecate's velvety voice cooed in her ear. You're not helping, Rachel snapped, why not give me something useful?! She watched helplessly as the boys struggled to approach without being touched. At this rate they wouldn't be in time to save Percy, and that power was beginning to sky rocket. She was surprised Nico couldn't feel his life slipping away. Use the boy child. He is a manipulator of shadow and you the Mist.
"Nico, you have to shadow travel!" she yelled without thinking. The boys stared at her confusedly. Rachel rolled her eyes and latched on to both of them. "C'mon we have to hurry. Transport us, what are you waiting for?!"
Nico's expression was unreadable, but she didn't care. Percy's life was in danger at the moment; he could deal with his authority issue later. Jason quickly stowed his sword away and tucked Rachel closer into his side, his arm wounding around her waist. They looked at the son of Hades expectantly. He nodded and closed his eyes. At first nothing happened, and then pitch black shadows rose from the ground and seemed to swallow them. Rachel squeaked, her vision torn from her. Her body felt weightless and fractured, her thoughts scattered. She could faintly feel Jason and Nico clutching on to her desperately, but she wasn't sure if it was real, if anything was real. Then just as suddenly as it began it ended.
Rachel greedily sucked in fresh air, her legs shaky. Nico and Jason seemed unperturbed by the trick, which left her seething. Lucky them, they'd endured it several times. They didn't waste any more time bursting into the cabin. Rachel couldn't suppress the scream of terror that tore from her throat. Percy was lying on his cot on his back. His eyes were closed and his skin was ghostly white. His chest wasn't moving, and if that were anything to go by, then Percy was already dead. The thought made her eyes sting, but that wasn't the terrifying part. A woman straddled his lap, leaning down over him as if to kiss him. Her skin was whiter than snow and dotted with black and purple bruises. Her slim shoulders were covered in what looked like dust, but it seemed more sinister and alive. She had a long curtain of greasy black hair that hid her face.
The woman wheeled around at Rachel's scream, hissing through her teeth. Rachel stumbled back, the power radiating from the woman almost debilitating. She wanted to turn away from the terrible thing that was killing her friend, but she couldn't. The demon's face was white as well, but her cheeks were bleeding profusely. Her eyes were blacker than the night and weeping with ghostlike tears. He bared her teeth menacingly and gripped Percy's throat tightly with a clawed hand.
"How dare you interfere?!" it hissed. Her weeping eyes swiveled between the three of them, but landed on Nico. The irises flashed in recognition, before melting into fury. "The pitiful brat of Hades coming to attack me? I will feed on your woes next!"
Nico raised his weapon, his eyes glinting dangerously. Rachel stepped back, fear clawing up her throat. The boy never looked more frightening than he did now. The ruler of the underworld would have been proud. "Get away from him." he whispered tightly. A shiver ran up her spine and the temperature dropped. Shadows were swirling around Nico, energy crackling in the air around him.
Several things happened at once. Nico stabbed the Earth, creating a chasm that seemed to stretch to the pits of Hell itself. Jason wrapped an arm around her waist and threw her as far away as possible. She crashed into a table, sending Percy's trinkets smashing to the ground. The creature leaped at Nico, her claws extended, liquid spewing from them. He dodged and rolled to the side. Jason raised his sword and swung. The blade should have sliced through her skin like paper, but it went through her. She wheeled on him and attacked, her eyes spilling over with tears. "This is not your fight boy, stay out of this!" she spat, shoving him against the wall.
"No, but it is mine." Nico materialized beside her, kicking the creature in the chest. She staggered backwards, but didn't hesitate to come at them again. Nico smirked evilly and snapped his lithe fingers together. Gnarled hands sprang up from the ground and grabbed onto the creature's ankles and legs. She shrieked and plummeted to the ground, writhing away from the undead. Nico turned to Rachel. "Get Percy out of here, hurry!"
She didn't move at first, staring wide eyed at the writhing creature. The undead seemed to latch on to any piece of her they could reach, their rotted fingers digging into her flesh. The woman gnashed her teeth and blood red flowers sprouted around her. The dead hissed and crumbled when touched. Rachel felt herself sinking into a dark hole the longer she gazed at the woman. It took all of her will power to stand to her feet and stagger to Percy.
Her hands flew to his neck and wrists, checking for any signs of life. She could feel her heart in her throat as she waited for something, any sign of the son of Poseidon. His pulse ticked faintly under her fingers and she calmed fractionally. Licking her lip nervously, Rachel leaned close to his face and tapped it gently. "Percy? C'mon Percy wake up." She shook him gently, but the boy remained unconscious. Her gut clenched and she tried again, calling out to him earnestly. He lay silent, although his pulse was getting stronger, but not quickly enough. "Percy wake up!"
Behind her something crashed and shook the cabin. She dared a glance over her shoulder and was relieved to see her friends panting over a pile of dust. Jason had a cut above his left eye and his shirt hung off his shoulders. Nico's bare chest was covered in tiny scratches and he was covered in sweat. The flowers were gone, as was the blanket of darkness. The chasm had closed, leaving the floor looking as natural as possible.
Nico rushed to her side and knelt beside Percy's head. His eyes were round with worry and uncertainty. "I can feel him now; he's alive." His voice was no louder than a whisper, but so much was laden into it. Rachel couldn't imagine how it must have felt for the son of Hades to be unable to feel his beloved. She watched him from the corner of her eye. His mask of indifference was gone, replaced by concern and a multitude of other emotions. He ran a hand over Percy's forehead, brushing away the hair that hung limply in his face. "He's ice cold." His voice broke slightly, but before Rachel could say anything Jason had grabbed her elbow and was dragging her away.
He pulled her off to a corner and barricaded her in with his arms. His blue eyes gazed into her green ones. "Are you okay?" he breathed. He searched her face and gave her body a courteous once over. Rachel flushed under his scrutiny and nodded. She felt perfectly fine in fact, as if she'd just completed her morning jog. Jason eyed her skeptically, but pulled away and turned back to Nico.
The son of Hades was focused only on Percy, as if willing him to wake up. It was a pitying sight to witness, but Rachel couldn't pity Nico. The kid had been through enough and was still fighting strong. That much was admirable. Jason placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump. Nico had Jason pinned beneath him so suddenly, Rachel wasn't sure she'd actually seen it happen. All the same, the blonde now had a wicked blade aimed at his throat, his hands raised in surrender. "Whoa, dude it's me, chill."
He climbed off of him almost as quickly, suddenly sheepish. His eyes were darting around, wild and slightly crazed. He stood protectively in front of Percy, his weapon still in hand. "Sorry, got a little trigger happy."
Percy groaned weakly and Nico was at his side at once. "We need to get him to Chiron immediately. C'mon, gab on to me." Rachel wasn't too keen on shadow traveling again, but the sooner Percy got help, the better. Jason held out his hand and she accepted. Nico cradled Percy against his chest, a feat considering the older demigod was slightly taller and bulkier. "Alright, let's go."
Okay, so Rachel was certain that shadow traveling was the worst way to travel imaginable. It took her a good five minutes to remember that her legs were not made of jelly and stop her stomach from flipping. She blinked at the sudden appearance of the sun, her throat tight and dry. Jason's hand tightened around hers reassuringly before dropping. Rachel shook her head and took in their surroundings. When Nico suggested they go to Chiron she'd thought he meant the Big House, not the dining pavilion. Stunned and horrified faces greeted them. Rachel felt her face heat up.
All at once several people jumped to their feet, dropping their food and screaming. Rachel stood between the onslaught of concerned and nosy campers and the boys. Looking over her shoulder she saw Jason and Nico both supporting Percy as Chiron approached. Various voices shouted at her, demanding to know "Why is Grace and Di Angelo holding up Jackson?" and "Why is Nico half naked?" and "Are you single?" She flipped off the guy from Hermes cabin that shouted the latter, but was quickly dragged away.
Piper, Leo, and Annabeth were all crowding her in, their faces worried. Annabeth's storm gray eyes were unreadable; Piper's hazel eyes were clouded with too many emotions; and Leo's chocolate brown eyes however were watching the retreating boys. Annabeth grabbed her shoulders tightly. "What happened to Percy?" she demanded. Her voice wavered and her eyes were shining with tears.
Piper gripped her elbow and tugged the girl away. "Annabeth you're hurting her. Can't you tell she's distraught? Something's happened." The daughter of Athena blinked, coming somewhat to her senses. She took a stuttering breath and leaned against Piper for support.
"What happened?" she asked weakly. She swallowed and looked at Rachel desperately. Rachel bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure what exactly had happened, and there were pieces she simply couldn't explain to a girl that relied on logic more than anything else. Somehow she knew that she could not reveal that a goddess had spoken to her in her dreams, but she also felt guilty. These were her friends, shouldn't they know the truth?
Decisions my dear, which you must make. Just remember, everything that you do can affect the future of the quest. Hecate whispered. Rachel wanted to curse the stupid witch into oblivion, but she was certain that it would only lead to her own punishment in the end. She knew in her gut not to say anything about it until she'd spoken to Chiron. "I'm sorry, but I have to talk to Chiron." She turned before they could stop her and ran to the Big House. By the time she got there the guys were already seated and she was hot and flustered. Chiron looked up at her and gestured to a seat.
"Miss. Dare, welcome. Why don't you tell us what happened?"
Chiron was quiet and that worried her to no ends. The centaur was normally articulate and wise in times of crisis, but now he seemed troubled and stricken. His eyes were unreadable and every so often he mumbled something under his breath. Jason was watching Nico who sat across the room acting as if he were ignoring them. Someone had thought to give the kid a simple black t-shirt instead of letting him run around half naked anymore. After a few minutes of silence Chiron cleared his throat. Nico turned slightly, quirking an eyebrow.
"It appears to me that we are dealing with forces far greater than that of the Giants or Gaea. The goddess that attacked you is even more ancient, which means that something is stirring in Tartarus. The fact that she was able to slip inside the borders without detection alludes that these forces are very powerful indeed. What's more disturbing is that Hecate approached you about this beforehand." His eyes swiveled to Rachel.
Nico's eyes hardened and he balled his hands into fists. "You knew this was going to happen?" he whispered accusingly. Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but Jason jumped to her defense.
"Of course she didn't. You heard what Hecate told her; there wasn't any indication that Percy would be attacked." Nico deflated and shot her an apologetic look. Chiron watched the brief exchange quietly with an unreadable expression before pressing on.
"Have you had this vision yet?" Again the attention fell to her and Rachel really just wanted to crawl into bed and start the morning over again. She shook her head and the centaur's frown deepened. "And you said you felt something brush past you before you realized Percy was in danger?" She nodded.
"I don't know how but…I could feel exactly when she attacked him. It was weird, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. I felt her power from the minute she passed me."
Chiron stared out the window, his eyebrows creasing. "That is…unheard of in your particular case. I can't fathom why she would brush against you- for it was on purpose- and then proceed to attack. What was her purpose in alerting you to her attack? And why was she easily defeated? There are too many unknowns here, and it worries me."
Jason, Nico, and Rachel looked at each other, all wondering the same thing. Jason voiced their concerns. "What if it was a test?"
The centaur looked at him and seemed to age before their eyes. "I would sincerely hope not. If it was…we have much to prepare for."
They were all silent for a moment, the severity of the situation settling in. Rachel's head was beginning to throb again, and she wanted nothing more than to be sleeping in her cabin. She wasn't a demigod, wasn't used to this type of mind numbing chaos that seemed to follow them like a plague. But they were her friends and she knew that she had to stand by them. She just wished she understood why Hecate had chosen her in the first place.
Above them they could hear light footsteps and stumbling. Seconds later Percy rounded the corner, looking pale and disheveled but otherwise alright. His sleepy green eyes looked at all of them in confusion and he yawned, stretching widely. "Did we have a slumber party or something?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes with a fist.
Rachel squealed in relief and launched herself at him. Luckily the boy had fast reflexes or they would have gone tumbling to the floor. He caught her mid air and hugged her back. Jason was grinning from ear to ear as she began to fuss over him, checking him for wounds that she knew would have been healed by now. Percy was blushing hotly, vainly attempting to bat her hands away. When she was satisfied that he was otherwise unharmed she stepped away to let him breath. Then it was Nico's turn.
The son of Hades' expression was unreadable, but Rachel could see the relief in his eyes. And after a moment they flared with anger. "Why the Hell are you out of bed Percy?"
Percy blinked in confusion before shrugging. "I feel fine Nico, there's no need to sit up there all-"
Nico cut him off with a glare. "Go get back in the infirmary until you're told to leave."
The older teen narrowed his eyes. "Why? You can't tell me what to do." He said stubbornly. He crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child and even pouted a little. The two started to bicker hotly over the subject of Percy's health and Rachel settled back into the couch next to Jason. They watched the exchange with amusement. If only the two realized how the other felt. The two boys were practically nose to nose now, faces flushed and neither backing down. She swore they would be the death of her.
Rachel's stomach rumbled and she realized that she hadn't eaten anything all morning. She grinned sheepishly at Jason before standing. And that's when her world seemed to flip inside out. Suddenly she was not standing in her own body, but looking at herself standing in the middle of the floor like an idiot, eyes glowing a ghostly green. The guys gathered around her as a prophecy tumbled from her lips.
Upon the trembling ground they roam, famine and disease the foundation of home.
The blood of Olympus has been spilt upon the iron throne, the king crowned with bones.
Below the graves of the damned, wails the eternally tormented.
Stand strong where the light cannot be seen and warmth cannot be found.
On Hallows Eve the chosen three must divide or stand in unity. A bond to be broken, another preserved, to dispel Misery's wrath from the world.
Rachel felt herself falling into a hole, and then everything went black.
Hi again! So I was slightly disappointed in the lack of reviews, but I will be detered from creating art! Anyway, like Rick Riordian I try to incorporate angst and humor into the story, so yes I believe it plausible for the characters to switch emotion easily. C'mon, they are teenagers. And yes this chapter was in Rachel's POV, but next chapter we'll switch it up. I just feel she was underdeveloped as a character, so I took creative liscence. Anyway, I'm rambling, so enjoy and review. Next chapter will be up soon! :)